This look celebrates Madras checks from Artisan Bazaar in Chennai, transformed into a bold, urban statement. Madras checks are lightweight cottons in bright plaids. They first appeared in the seventeenth century and became known worldwide through colonial trade. In southern India, they are everyday wear, used for saris and lungis. The fabric was valued for comfort and for its daring color combinations.
“When I learnt we would be doing street photography in NYC with LaWhore, I chose the pants drape to depict style and functionality that, for me, represents NYC. I chose to do a variation of the Odissi drape — a pant drape traditionally worn by Odissi dancers. Nikita had two saris in mind for this look, so I draped one sari over each leg and both pallus were draped around LaWhore’s chest to make it look like a jumpsuit.” – Nikaytaa
The drape here reimagines tradition for the city. Inspired by Odissi costume, the sari becomes a pant drape, sculpted yet mobile. By layering two saris and wrapping both pallus across the chest, the look resembles a jumpsuit. It is a form that holds histories of dance and labor while also showcasing contemporary androgynous fashion.
Madras checks grew from artisan looms in Chennai but found their way across the world. Through trade they became iconic in shirts, skirts, and dresses abroad, while in India they remained tied to daily life. This look stages them in yet another transformation. The sari leaves the home and the ritual. It enters the street, a textile in motion, adapting itself with boldness.
Heritage textiles like Madras checks show how fabric can shift across times and places. They can be rooted in tradition yet embrace reinvention. Here, the checks speak of southern India but also move fluidly into the language of New York streets. Practical, colorful, and alive, they honor the past while embodying a new way of wearing identity.
Did you know that Madras checks were traded by East India Company merchants in the seventeenth century. They were woven in bright vegetable dyes that often faded into soft pastels over time, becoming part of their charm. In America, Madras plaid became a symbol of preppy summer fashion. In India, the fabric still carries its original association with comfort and daily wear.
Sari: bazaar’s of Chennai
Corset belt: untitle by nikita